Mr. Scot

National sports coverage basically focuses on a half dozen teams or so and only covers the rest sporadically. That's why I much prefer the local guys who only concentrate on one team, though when they have decent knowledge of the rest of the league (like Mike Kaye does) it's helpful.

Don't know but there's loads of coverage.

Not NFL but big news... I get the feeling a lot of Hornet fans are thanking God right now (even the atheists)

From The Athletic... Excerpts below, but the full article is worth checking out if you're a subscriber... 1. It didn’t take long for Young to win the respect of his older teammates. (W)hile Young is plenty confident, he carries himself like a fourth-round pick from Central Michigan just hoping to make the roster. ... Young seemed to go out of his way to soak up any morsel of advice a veteran had for him, be it a teammate on offense (Andy Dalton) or defense (Shaq Thompson), to name a couple. But listening to Young talk and the way his teammates talk about him, it’s not an act. 2. The batted balls are worth keeping an eye on. Prior to the draft, Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said Young only had two passes knocked down during his last year at Alabama. The 5-foot-10 quarterback matched that total during the two-day minicamp, with one each day. ... Young had a knack at Alabama for sliding in the pocket to create passing lanes, a skill set he showed off throughout OTAs. Wide receiver Adam Thielen, a free-agent acquisition this offseason, praised Young’s “ability to get the ball out on time but do that in a way that isn’t just sitting in one stagnant spot.” ... Still, it’s worth filing away this week’s batted balls — which, in fairness, happened to the 6-foot-5 Cam Newton, too — and checking back in August to see if they crop up again during training camp. 3. Is the Panthers’ answer at edge rusher already on the roster? It depends on what level of pass rusher the Panthers are looking for opposite Burns. If they’re good with a sixth-year player who has improved each year, then maybe pairing Marquis Haynes with Yetur Gross-Matos, who’s solid enough in setting the edge, could work. Haynes spent most of the past two days knifing into the backfield and generally making a mess of the offense’s plans. Haynes had what might have been three sacks on Young, had these been actual games (and if Young had not eluded him). The 6-2, 235-pound Haynes looks thicker this year, and it could be playing in space in a 3-4 suits him better than lining up in a three-point stance. The sense here is the Panthers will sign another edge rusher before Sept. 10, but Haynes got Young’s attention. 4. Two young, offensive skill guys (not named Bryce Young) get noticed. Reich...mentioned two guys — rookie receiver Jonathan Mingo and second-year running back Raheem Blackshear. Mingo, the second-round pick from Ole Miss, and Young spent a lot of time together on the practice field and that chemistry was evident during a couple of the practices open to the media. Mingo is a big, strong wideout who should be an asset to Young on short crossing routes. Blackshear showed off good burst in the return game as a rookie. But he also has good hands and can catch the ball out of the backfield, which — similar to Mingo — should benefit a rookie quarterback. 5. A positive development in the secondary. (T)hr Panthers might have found something in fifth-round pick Jammie Robinson, the former South Carolina and Florida State safety. Robinson (5-11, 195) does not have ideal safety size, but he plays with attitude and can also line up in the slot when the Panthers are in nickel. Starting corner Donte Jackson, who was an observer during OTAs and minicamp while continuing to rehab his Achilles, liked what he saw — and heard — from Robinson. “Jammie’s a pit bull. He’s one of my favorite players in the DB room, one of my favorite guys to talk to,” Jackson said. “He’s just football. That type stuff you just can’t teach.

Today's report (haven't read it yet)

Carolina 2020-22 would have been the polar opposite of that.

As a former Stroud advocate, I could see this being a real interesting connection this year

From The 33rd Team... Glad to see us included in there. (I'd have felt snubbed if we weren't)

...with a Panthers related tidbit Honestly, the series looks pretty interesting regardless...

A little more "meat" courtesy of The Observer'a Mike Kaye: Excerpts:: The Panthers’ defense turned in a handful of big plays on Tuesday during the first practice of mandatory minicamp. Pass rusher Marquis Haynes, in particular, had a strong day as he consistently got into the backfield during 11-on-11 drills. Haynes had at least two would-be sacks during team drills, and it’d be fair argue that he had a third one that was a bit less obvious than the other two on rookie quarterback Bryce Young, who continued to lead the first-team offense. ... While Young completed the majority of his passes during 11-on-11 drills, the defense — as a unit — did a nice job of forcing pressure and creating tough catches throughout the afternoon. Young had a ball batted at the line of scrimmage during his first session of 11-on-11 work, and a few minutes later, veteran backup Andy Dalton suffered the same fate in front of a crowded group in the trenches. After the workout, head coach Frank Reich said that he expected to see plenty of batted balls because the defensive linemen can’t touch the quarterbacks in practice. ... Linebacker Frankie Luvu made an excellent play in coverage against Young as he jumped a route and knocked down a pass during an 11-on-11 rep. Safety Jeremy Chinn — who has had a strong offseason program performance in front of media — broke up a pass meant for wideout Adam Thielen in the slot during 7-on-7 work. The play of the day for the defense was produced by rookie linebacker Bumper Pool. The undrafted defender made an opportunistic grab on a ball that bounced off the hands of undrafted running back Camerun Peoples. Pool intercepted the pass from second-year quarterback Matt Corral and celebrated the highlight play by returning the ball to the opposite end zone as his fellow defenders cheered him on. YOUNG DEVELOPING CHEMISTRY WITH WEAPONS Young showed off his chemistry with Thielen on a couple of throws, even as the veteran receiver bailed the rookie out on some off-the-mark tosses. Young has looked for Thielen quite often during the offseason program, and the veteran’s ability to get open across the middle will be an asset for Young in his rookie season. Thielen made a pair of diving catches on the day, and he probably had the best outing of any of the offensive playmakers during the workout. Young targeted rookie wideout Jonathan Mingo on a tight toss over the middle during 11-on-11 drills. He also tossed a deep ball on a “go” route to wideout Terrace Marshall during 7-on-7 work. Marshall made an excellent adjustment with his body to haul in the ball against cornerback Keith Taylor in coverage. ... In a funny moment that’s rarely seen on the practice field, Young essentially skipped stones with a completion during 7-on-7 drills. Young fired a dart over the middle to running back Chuba Hubbard and the ball bounced off his hands. The ball then ricocheted off tight end Tommy Tremble’s mitts and into the hands of wideout DJ Chark for a catch. On that one, Young was more lucky than good. INJURIES AHEAD OF TRAINING CAMP Safety Vonn Bell (hamstring) was sidelined for Tuesday’s workout. Fourth-round pick, guard Chandler Zavala (pec strain), missed his second consecutive practice in front of the media. Wide receiver Derek Wright — who made several impressive connections with Young during organized team activities — was seen with a cast on his right arm during practice, as he watched from the sideline. Edge rusher Brian Burns (ankle), tight end Hayden Hurst (sports hernia) and cornerback Donte Jackson (Achilles) were all seen at practice, but none of them participated in team drills. Reich said after practice that Jackson is expected to return to drills for training camp in July. The expectation for Burns is that he will return in time for training camp as well. Cornerback Jaycee Horn, who injured his left ankle last week, was not seen at practice. Like Jackson and Burns, Horn is expected to recover in time for training camp, according to Reich. QUICK HITS ▪ The Panthers hosted three tryout players during Tuesday’s workout. Cornerbacks Greg Mabin and Thakarius Keyes and veteran receiver-turned-tight end Jordan Matthews worked out with the team during the practice. Matthews, a 2014 second-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, has bounced around quite a bit over the years. After playing wideout for most of his career, he made the switch to tight end in 2019 with the San Francisco 49ers. He has appeared in 76 career games and produced 274 catches for 3,288 yards and 22 touchdowns during his career. If signed, he’d compete with Giovanni Ricci and Stephen Sullivan for a deep depth spot behind Hurst, Tremble and Ian Thomas at the tight end position. Mabin has been in the league since 2017. He’s played for seven different teams throughout his run in the NFL. In 45 career games, he’s collected 64 tackles and seven pass breakups. Keyes, whose nickname is “BoPete,” briefly played for Reich in Indianapolis in 2021. He’s collected nine tackles in 13 career games. Keyes or Mabin could be signed to make up for the lack of bodies at cornerback with Horn and Jackson sidelined. ▪ Following practice, Young, Marshall and Mingo spent time with former Panthers wideout Steve Smith, who has been a frequent visitor throughout the offseason program. Marshall and Mingo also worked on their hands with trainers, playing catch roughly 30 minutes after the final whistle. Tremble and Hubbard also worked on over-the-shoulder receiving with each other during that same time frame. ▪ While Mingo and Marshall were working on the adjacent field, Burns and fellow pass rusher Yetur Gross-Matos worked with a pass-rushing dummy for roughly 20 minutes. Following that side workout, Burns complimented Gross-Matos’ adjustment to outside linebacker after spending his entire career as a 4-3 defensive end. ▪ Corral, the Panthers’ third-string quarterback, got an extended run during 11-on-11 work. His first two throws were to wideout Marquez Stevenson. The pair showed some chemistry on the pair of passes, as Corral led the deep-depth offense.

It's interesting in the sense of seeing outside perspective, but it's not exactly a "deep dive". When the context is something like "32 teams in 32 days", you can expect a fairly shallow treatment. That, plus it's being written at a time when there's very little of any substance to talk about.

Heh, I didn't even catch that (clearly their editors didn't either)

Yeah that's...off

From the article: Biggest gamble this offseason: Taking Bryce Young If Young can withstand the rigors of NFL life, his ability should be enough to make the Panthers a tough out. He has talent around him in veteran receivers Adam Thielen, DJ Chark and Terrace Marshall Jr., along with running back Miles Sanders. But if Young succumbs to injuries, many will wonder whether Carolina made a mistake by taking him instead of the larger C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State. Toughest stretch of the season: Weeks 3 to 6 After a pair of division games against the Falcons and Saints to begin the season, the Panthers will head cross-country to take on the Seahawks before coming back to Bank of America Stadium for a date with the Vikings. In Weeks 5 and 6, it’s a pair of road tilts against the Lions and Dolphins, two teams expected to fight for their respective division titles. If Carolina can go 2–2 in that stretch, it’ll be well positioned. Breakout player to watch: OT Ickey Ekwonu After some early-season inconsistency, Ekwonu became one of the league’s best rookies over the course of 2022. He’s now tasked with handling Young’s blindside. Last year Ekwonu earned praise from Pro Football Focus, being given a grade of 92.1 against the defensively loaded 49ers, the highest grade for any offensive tackle to that point in the campaign. At 6'4" and 230 pounds, Ekwonu has the size and athleticism to be a top left tackle in the league for the next decade. Don’t be surprised if he pushes for his first Pro Bowl this year. Position of strength: Secondary play The Panthers will face some weak quarterbacks in the NFC South this year, and a strong secondary should take full advantage. Carolina is well stocked with young talent, including 2021 first-round corner Jaycee Horn, alongside veteran Donte Jackson. The duo is one of the NFC’s best and is backed by an excellent safety tandem in free-agent addition Vonn Bell and fourth-year man Jeremy Chinn. Position of weakness: Pass rush Carolina has one of the league’s most explosive pass rushers in Brian Burns, but who is going to be a complement to him? Looking at the depth chart, it’s a tough answer to figure. This offseason, the Panthers signed Shy Tuttle to play on the interior, but he has just four sacks in as many years. Henry Anderson is another player up front who does little to reach the passer, notching zero sacks last year and only 11 across seven seasons. Yetur Gross-Matos is a 2020 second-round pick, but he’s been a disappointment as well with just 8.5 sacks in three campaigns. X-factor: How ready is Young? There’s no other question here. We’ve seen plenty of rookie quarterbacks struggle throughout their first years before becoming perennial Pro Bowlers. We’ve also seen men like Matt Ryan and Lamar Jackson lead their teams to the playoffs right away. Best bet: Bryce Young will go over 3500.5 passing yards The Panthers’ run game will open things up for the young passer, who could often be playing in a negative game script. Chark, Thielen, Marshall and Jonathan Mingo have enough talent to help get this done. —Jennifer Piacenti, SI Betting Final record: 10–7, first in NFC South

Seconded...

Ben McAdoo made that call.

The headline of the article on his retirement mentions that his crew once reffed a Super Bowl. I don't remember which one it was, but I do remember there being complaints about poor officiating afterwards. (I remember that primarily because I was expecting it and wasn't surprised)

Jerome Boger retires

I missed this when it happened, but wow... As far as I know, the Seattle Mariners are the only Major League Baseball team to ever be penalized in an NFL game. These are the sorts of things we'll remember now that Jerome Boger is retiring For more context, check out this clip: